172 
MISCELLANY. 
MISCELLANY, 
Case of Poisoning by the Essential Oil of Bitter Almonds, observed by M. 
Chavasse. — M , druggist, had placed a bottle of the essential oil of 
bitter almonds in a closet, without labelling it; along side was another 
bottle, also not labelled, containing sweet spirits of nitre. In the mean- 
time his health was good, with the exception of occasional suffering from 
nephritic pains. While suffering from a smart attack of this complaint, 
he went in a hurry to the bottle of sweet spirits of nitre, and swallowed, 
at one draught, the amount of half an ounce ; but, by mistake, he had in- 
advertently taken the bottle of oil of almonds, in place of the other. Im- 
mediately discovering his error, he sent for a physician. In half a mi- 
nute after, he became pale, fainted, and was convulsed ; his countenance 
became deathly pale and his pulse imperceptible. 
M. Chavasse quickly arrived ; he found the patient on a bed. The 
syncope had gone off in a few minutes after he had lain down; he 
immediately vomited much alimentary matter and bile, smelling strongly 
of prussic acid. Deadly palor, general coldness, a pulse at first small., 
frequent, intermittent, then small and regular; sub-delirium, incoherent 
muttering, convulsive movements, especially of the eyebrows ; then sar- 
donic laughter, gay appearance and brilliancy of the eyes, short and pant- 
ing respiration, attacks of suffocation, and accessions of convulsions were 
successively exhibited by the patient. M. Chavasse looked for a stomach 
pump, but not finding any, he vomited the patient by hot water and sul- 
phate of zinc, which he gave to the amount of three gros. He at the same 
time endeavored to restore the temperature of the body by means of bot- 
tles of hot water and hot cloths; but he did not lose sight of the most es- 
sential point, after vomiting, the administration of stimulating remedies. 
He gave to the patient a mixture of brandy and ammonia, diluted with wa- 
ter. The amendment was immediate ; the pulse, the temperature, and the 
functional action were gradually relieved, and the patient passed from 
death to life. 
The following draught was continued : Ammonia, 1 gros. ; tinct. car- 
damom, 1 ounce; mist, camph., 7 ounces ; and the patient recovered. 
Journ. de Chem. Med. 
Poisoning in rabbits by large doses of Sulphate of Quinine. By M. Desi- 
derio. — The author, in a paper written in Italian, makes known the results 
of nine experiments in which he gave rabbits the sulphate of quinine, 
